Dead Men's Path

Improved Essays
Show More
Dead Men’s Path is written by (Achebe)and is considered a modernization of the African tribal life. The story is about a man named Michael Obi who is a young, energetic man. Obi is the young new headmaster at the college, a traditional college. Obi has new ideas he thinks will bring the school into a modern era. He soon finds that his ideas don’t achieve the results that he imagined. Obi, bright and enthusiastic as ever who is excited to find out what he can do for the school that has been in need of help. The school had been short-staffed for quite some time, his forward thinking and eager to share the modern life with the village and students the attending the college. Dead Men’s Path is an address to the cultural conflicts between the modern …show more content…
Michael Obi the new, enthusiastic and wholehearted headmaster of a disadvantaged school. The Mission authorities selected him for the job as they wanted a "young and energetic man" to administer it. Michael was married to a woman named Nancy she is slightly egotistical but is always kind and considerate towards him, “We shall do our best”(188) the wife was always looking up to the modern ways, “We shall have such beautiful gardens and everything will be just modern and delightful….” (188). She was sad for a moment when she found out that all of her husband's colleagues are young and unmarried “she became skeptical about the new school; but it was only for a few minutes. Her little personal misfortune could not blind her to her husband's happy …show more content…
The story is a combination of modern and traditional outlook on everything. Where modernizing is always considered good sometimes you need to hold onto the traditions of our people. That that is where Obi went wrong, he was so set with the idea of modernization that he forgot that the tradional aspect is just as important. In his attempt to modernize everything he creats a war between the school and the village which earns him the bad review that he was so worried about in the beginning. The story shows also the ignorance of people on beliefs that are not their own, Michael does not tolerate the beliefs of the villagers and so the villagers don’t even consider

Related Documents

  • Superior Essays

    Hero's Journey
    • 1646 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Hero's Journey

    The term “hero” has been around since the late fourteenth century; however, the term is of an uncertain origin (Etymology, paragraph 2). Based upon controversial etymology beliefs, Webster’s Dictionary defines a ‘hero’ as an individual that is admired for his or her great acts or fine qualities. According to Joseph Campbell, the author of The Hero with a Thousand Faces, an individual must go through the cycle of the hero 's journey. The life of a real life hero is reflected by the epic literary example “The Hero’s Journey” that is exhibited in the book The Hero with a Thousand Faces; therefore, a hero in today’s world must undergo the same twelve stages that are listed in “The Hero’s Journey.” The hero’s journey is known for telling…

    • 1646 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
    Read More
  • Decent Essays

    Unsuspecting Characters In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart
    • 108 Words
    • 1 Pages

    Unsuspecting Characters In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart

    Many stories in literature portray tragedies that occur to unsuspecting characters rather frequently. Even more peculiar, some stories show that tragic events happen to characters when it’s noteven their fault. In the story Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe tells of a story in which a young Nigerian Okonkwo rises to power and nobility through persistence. His desire to work assiduously isinspired from his hatred of his father’s laziness as he strives to earning the highest title in the village of Umuofia. Unfortunately, his efforts are disturbed by the introduction of “White men” and he eventuallycommits suicide when he realizes his village no longer supports the ambitions…

    • 108 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Summary Of A Woman Rejoiced
    • 842 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Summary Of A Woman Rejoiced

    Have you ever rejoiced when something bad happens to somebody? I am going to tell you about a story of a woman who rejoiced when a terribly tragic event happened to her husband. This story starts in 1894 when women had no power. The woman’s name was Mrs. Mallard, and she was married to Brently Mallard. She had a heart disease and any seriously shocking moments could trigger a fatal heart attack.…

    • 842 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Compare And Contrast The Yellow Wallpaper And To Build A Fire
    • 1011 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Compare And Contrast The Yellow Wallpaper And To Build A Fire

    Being in a house that her husband believes will help her actually furthers her spiral into depression and eventually into further illness. Even when the narrator is trying to get her own feelings across she is brushed aside by males like in this passage. "If a physician of high standing, and one 's own husband, assures friends and relatives that there is really nothing the matter with one but temporary nervous depression--a slight hysterical tendency-- what is one to do?"(792). The female narrator is shown to not have any power when it comes to the word of her husband or any male. In this passage she is shown to just accept the fact that she will not be able to tell her husband or anyone else that she is actually fine and nothing is wrong with her.…

    • 1011 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Religion In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart
    • 574 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Religion In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart

    During the final parts of book we see how the presence of the new religion,christianity, as well as the influence of the white men is affecting the different villages and tribes. This religion seems to go against all of Okonkwo’s ideals as a man and a warrior. The preachings of the new religion and the people that practice it are pacifistic and gentle whereas Okonkwo’s ideals are rather violent and self destructive. The contrast of the two demonstrates the affront Okonkwo feels towards the rapid transition to western ideologies. The westernisation of Okonkwo’s society emphasises Achebe’s main message of change and how it isn’t always good as evidenced through Okonkwo’s reactions and consequent decline, and the fading of the Igbo culture into a new one.…

    • 574 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    The Land Of Open Graves Analysis
    • 652 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The Land Of Open Graves Analysis

    The second portion of “The Land of Open Graves” is dynamically different than that of the first portion. An increased use of personal interviews and emotional conversations change the tone of the novel, but manages to stay impactful and tasteful throughout. The author’s theme during this second half of the book was the emotional damage that the border inflicted on those that attempted to cross it. The damage was those who made the journey, as well as those people who knew others crossing the desert at this time.…

    • 652 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Superior Essays

    Symbolism In Dead Man's Path By Chinua Achebe
    • 1387 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Symbolism In Dead Man's Path By Chinua Achebe

    In his famous short story “Dead Man’s Path”, Chinua Achebe eloquently painted the picture of a story dripping with both irony and hidden truth. He chose to artfully convey a message he felt personally important to his readership, and did so quite successfully. His message, and the overall theme of the story, is that we, as modern humans whose civilization is built upon a bedrock of ancient cultures, beliefs, and mores, need to respect and accept our heritage, lest our arrogance force us to lose touch with where we came from. Achebe illustrates this complex and deeply fascinating theme exceptionally well in just a few short pages, through use of many different literary devices throughout the story. Most notably, he makes artful use of the title,…

    • 1387 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Gender Roles And Gender In Things Fall Apart By Chinua Achebe
    • 1042 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Gender Roles And Gender In Things Fall Apart By Chinua Achebe

    The literary book “Things Fall Apart” is a well-written novel by Chinua Achebe about an ordinary Nigerian named Okonkwo and it explains how the impact of European colonization in his village significantly changed his life. Though this is the main idea, the novel also consists of many hidden messages which are shown through the interesting plot turns and literary devices. A theme that Achebe explores through the book is the role of men and women in the Igbo society and how certain customs are associated with each of them. The powerful personalities of the unique characters such as Ezinma, Ekwefi, and Nwoye, and the way that they reach out of their gender stereotypes is one of the main reasons that this piece of literature was so entertaining to read. While Ezinma and Nwoye’s actions and mindsets make them different from other children of the same gender, Ekwefi’s interests and mentality set her apart from other women as well.…

    • 1042 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Superior Essays

    Theme Of Dead Man's Path
    • 1109 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Theme Of Dead Man's Path

    Throughout the short story by Chinua Achebe “Dead Man’s Path” there are forms of irony, symbolism, and views which set the tone and background for the story. In the opening, we see a young man by the name of Michael Obi who has just received a job as the headmaster of an “unprogressive” school in what appears to be Africa in 1949. This town has religious ties as well as strong family roots. This society is not very welcoming of new and progressive ideas which makes this story unfold into a great cataclysmic display of irony. The central theme is that we should all be more tolerant of our neighbors no matter their beliefs or intellects.…

    • 1109 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Civilization And Tribalism In Dead Men's Path By Chinua Achebe
    • 1352 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Civilization And Tribalism In Dead Men's Path By Chinua Achebe

    Chinua Achebe once said, “As a child, […] you automatically identified with the good people, with the missionaries […] because that 's the way the story was arranged. Now, the moment you realize that you were […] of the party of the savages […] that 's the moment when you knew that a new story had to be written.” Growing up in Nigeria as the British Empire put its territories through a bleaching process, removing any forms of religion, culture, and thought that diverged from their own British values, Achebe knew that in order to stay relevant as an African author, he would need to get political and write realistic representations of his world. In his short story, “Dead Men’s Path,” we see a historical accuracy within his characters, representing those indigenous peoples of Nigeria who were forcibly assimilated, such as Michael Obi, symbols like the path that represent not only the differences between religious beliefs, but also create division within race, and themes that highlight the battle between modernization and tribalism of the 1950s and continue…

    • 1352 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Superior Essays

    Things Fall Apart Rhetorical Analysis
    • 1463 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Things Fall Apart Rhetorical Analysis

    Chinua Achebe was a Nigerian author whose universally appreciated novel, Things Fall Apart, provides a voice to an ill-treated and unrepresented culture. Things Fall Apart took place in Umuofia in the 1880’s, before and during the first arrival of European missionaries. Weary of reading westerner’s interpretations of how socially backward, illiterate, and uncivilized Africans were, Chinua Achebe wished to reveal a better insight of the Ibo culture and, in doing so, preserve the wellbeing of his continent. Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart displays the natives of Africa with an appropriate level of complexity to contrast the Westerner’s overly-…

    • 1463 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
    Read More
  • Great Essays

    Differences In Things Fall Apart By Chinua Achebe
    • 1405 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Differences In Things Fall Apart By Chinua Achebe

    In order for others to understand our intended actions, our opinions and reasons must be acknowledged. A story told with only one point of view, a single story, can result in a conflict or possible confusion, as seen in Things Fall Apart written by Chinua Achebe. Inspired to write a book from the point of view of a true African, Achebe follows the Umuofia tribe as the evangelists seeking to convert others to Christianity threaten their much-cherished Igbo culture. Throughout the book, Achebe follows the point of view of the Igbo people. It is not until the last chapter that we begin to see a shift in the point of view.…

    • 1405 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Colonialism In Things Fall Apart By Chinua Achebe
    • 1001 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Colonialism In Things Fall Apart By Chinua Achebe

    Things Fall Apart, written by Chinua Achebe and published originally in 1958, follows the life of Okonkwo, a member of the Nigerian Igbo culture, as European colonists arrive to Africa. Throughout the novel, Okonkwo and his family struggle through their day to day life, only made worse by the integration of European society in the village. Instead of offering the readers the more familiar, if not overtold, perspective of Europeans colonizing Africa, Achebe introduces a completely foreign culture. As the reader becomes more accustomed to the Igbo culture, the arrival of the Europeans can be better understood from both sides; while colonial apologists’ perspective is well known, Achebe criticizes colonialism from a fresh perspective. Achebe…

    • 1001 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Superior Essays

    The Importance Of Traditions In Things Fall Apart
    • 1265 Words
    • 6 Pages

    The Importance Of Traditions In Things Fall Apart

    “Blindly following ancient customs and traditions doesn’t mean that the dead are alive, but that the living are dead” (Ibn Khaldun). There are the benefits and costs that come along with any religion or custom, but as seen in the novel Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe demonstrates how the consequences of the customs of the Umuofia tribe outweigh the benefits. While many of the tribe members of Umuofia all follow the tribe’s customs, one member in particular who is well respected, lives by the village's customs especially by the rule of masculinity, his name is Okonkwo. As a child, Okonkwo grew up with a father who was seen by the village more as a woman than a man, and all because he showed his emotions and rather play the flute than fight.…

    • 1265 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
    Read More
  • Superior Essays

    Summary Of Change A Love Story
    • 1260 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Summary Of Change A Love Story

    At the beginning the semester, we are all required to read a novel named “Change: A Love story” which was written by Ama Ata Aidoo. In general, this book talks about the concepts of love, marriage, and family in Sub-Saharan Africa. Moreover, it provides us two different values, traditional values and modern values, and shows the conflict between them. In this reflection, I would list and analyze each main character in the novel at first. Then investigating what kinds of culture are shown on themselves and finding the connection between them.…

    • 1260 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
    Read More

Related Topics

Ready To Get Started?
Discover
Company
Follow
©2024 Cram.com
Privacy Policy |  About Ads |  Site Map |  Advertise  | 
  • Cookie Settings